A Black woman who went viral after hugging Donald Trump this week says meeting the former president was a "learning experience."
On Friday, Michaelah Montgomery, the founder of the Conserve the Culture organization, spoke with Fox News's Fox & Friends co-host Lawrence Jones about her recent meeting with the former president at a Chick-fil-A in Atlanta, Georgia.
"It was a learning experience for my students because they were able to see and experience first-hand how the media can warp the perception of an opinion or a person," Montgomery said.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's spokesperson via email for comment.
The Context
Earlier this week, a video went viral on social media capturing Montgomery hugging Trump at Chick-fil-A, where he purchased food for dozens of supporters.
Trump's deputy director of communications, Margo Martin, shared a video of the interaction on X, formerly Twitter.
"I don't care what the media tells you, Mr. Trump, we support you!" Montgomery says in the video.
What We Know
As the presumptive 2024 Republican nominee, Trump looks set to face off against President Joe Biden again in the November presidential election. Ahead of the vote, polls have suggested there has been a shift with Black voters, who have largely supported the Democratic Party.
A recent poll from Pew Research found somewhat contrasting results, with 83 percent of Black voters favoring the Democratic Party, a decline of 3 percentage points from 1994, when 86 percent aligned in this way.
On the other hand, 12 percent support the Republican Party, a one-percentage-point decline from 1994.
Views
On Fox & Friends, Montgomery said that views on social media suggest that if Trump showed up to an HBCU college campus, "some angry mob would form," but she noted that "clearly the sentiment in that room the other day was the complete opposite."
"He was very welcomed. People were excited to see him, people showed up in support of him, and people, of course, were from all four institutions within...the local HBCU community in Atlanta," Montgomery said.
Montgomery added that she has learned from young Americans in her grassroots organizations that they believe Trump is "honest," compared to Biden, who she said, "locked up a lot of people who look like me."
"When it comes to what Joe Biden has done for Black America....if anything one could argue that he dedicated his entire senatorial career to disrupting the way of life for Black people," she said.
What's Next
Trump will likely continue to campaign in numerous states as the November election nears.
Biden is also likely to campaign and seek further support from Black communities across the nation.
Update 4/12/24, 8:57 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 4/12/24, 9:57 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Matthew Impelli is a Newsweek staff writer based in New York. His focus is reporting social issues and crime. In ... Read more
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